Syrian minister mocks critics

A Syrian government minister has declared refugees fleeing the country are welcome back “at any time", has mocked the leaders of Egypt and Turkey for their condemnation, and called the armed opposition unfit for negotiations.

Minister of Information Omran al-Zoubi held an unusual televised news conference that appeared intended to rebut international criticism of Syria over the refugee crisis on its borders and the mounting death toll at home. He spoke after the end of the deadliest week and deadliest month of the uprising.

Mr Zoubi directed his most caustic remarks at Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist celebrated around the region as Egypt’s first democratically elected president. Mr Morsi used a visit last week to Syria’s regional sponsor, Iran, to strongly fault the Assad government for its bloody crackdown on what Mr Morsi called a legitimate movement towards democracy.

Meanwhile, Syrian war planes on Monday bombarded targets in Aleppo and surrounding regions, as a car-bomb exploded in Jaramana near Damascus.